Editorial about: modified en bloc spondylectomy for tumors of the thoracic and lumbar spine

Wide margin (microscopically negative) resection is necessary for local control and long-term survival of the patients with sarcomas, locally aggressive and recurrent benign tumors. However, wide margins resection is rarely feasible in the spine because of the spinal cord, nerve roots and major vessels (1). Therefore, the standard approach for primary tumors of the spine has been intralesional tumor excision (curettage); yet, local control of the tumor and survival of the patients has been dismal.